29th Annual Peace Walk in Okinawa

Na Mu Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo                                        
07,11,2015

29th Annual Peace Walk in Okinawa led by Nipponzan Myohoji.

More than 20 people joined the walk this year 5 of them came from out side of Japan.
3 Americans, 1 English, 1 Singaporean who now live in Afghanistan.
Organization like
“Voices for Creative Nonviolence”, “Afghan Peace Volunteer”
“Witness Against Torture”
And 1 Okinawan woman..

People of Okinawa(Ryukyu) are opposed to Japanese government on the issue of construction new US military base at Henoko.

Under the SACO agreement(1996), this issue has been suffering people for 20 years .
The government has not succeeded yet to construct a new base at Henoko.
This struggle is amazingly stopping the Japanese and US, both governments policy for 20 years.

The both government always express that removal of Futenma air base of US Marine corps to Henoko camp schewab at Nago city.
However, the function of a base will be built up.

Futenma air base has limited runway where is a right middle of city of Ginowan. And if they landfill Henoko new base they will have 2 runways and a naval port with ammunition storage.

People has been opposing clearly for this 20 years, and last year, There were several elections in Okinawa, for a governor of Okinawa, mayor of Nago city, and 4 member of the national diet from Okinawa.
All candidates who promote a new base in Henoko lost their elections.

In a sense of constitutional and democratic governance, it would be an impossible to keep promoting the policy of new base when the majority people oppose.

But the Japanese government forcibly started a construction from July 2014.
The riot polices on the land, Japanese coast guard on the sea help the all works for the construction to keep going.

This struggle now represents all struggle in Japan against Abe administration.

Therefore, everyday hundreds of people from Okinawa, Main land and out side of Japan come to protest at in front of the Camp Schewab.

Oura bay where they plan to reclaim is a rich and biodiversity area. Because of its unique form of bay with 60 meters depth and 6 rivers comes in to the bay with rich vegetable plankton from Yanbaru forest. And shallow area has a one type of sea grass for sacred Dugong who is now endangered species.

Soldiers, civilian employees and their families all together, there are 100 thousands people are stationed in Japan, and a half of them are at Okinawa. (However, they can enter without passport and through an immigration)

673.9 billion yen (5.5 billion US dollar) were spent for US military forces to stay in Japan on 2014. 12.40 million yen(100.668 thousand US dollar) are spent for each one person.
The money is paid for the land, for Japanese workers in US Base, for US soldiers housings and electricity, and for removal of US Bases.
When a people hear this fact, they start laughing, but not the eyes.

Since the Govenor Onaga started to negotiate with US government officials by visiting Washington DC and also gave a message at UN human right conference at Geneva.
The eyes of the world have started to see Okinawa’s news.

Japanese government uses all their power to build a new base, the volition of Okinawan people are trampled.
Their process to continue the construction is illegal or violate the Japanese constitution.
However, mass medias don’t focus the illegality of Japanese government and their violence by police forces.

The state uses a violence to sustain their structure. It’s a very obvious fact from Okinawan side.

A part of nonviolent action, to spread the news of our struggle is important.
To let the world watch our justice and government’s injustice.

To complete the all landfill process, there are many obstacles that a governor and a mayor can exercise their authorities.
I feel that except making a special legislation, Henoko landfill won’t be completed.

The government uses a power of media to control a people.

war is going on in Middle East.
The US military kills a people.
This is a fact that we cannot see in front of our eyes.
The war is a terror. Just a terror.
There are no other reasons to abolish all military bases.
We just want abolish the war.
That is an only reason to stop a new base in Henoko.

Palms Together